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Friday, December 16, 2016

Book Review of Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

What a treat this is for me. My first opportunity to review a Susan May Warren book. I've been a reader and follower of hers for years now but never had the chance to do a book review. Woohoo!

Wild Montana Skies is book 1 in the Montana Rescue Series. If you have never read a Susan May Warren book start now!

She's come home to heal . . . only to find heartbreak is waiting. He thought he put the past behind him . . . until he returned home to discover it's walked back into his life--and this time, with a secret he can't forgive. Can two broken hearts find their way back to love?

Here's the back cover copy:The last thing Search and Rescue helicopter pilot Kacey Fairing needs upon returning home to Mercy Falls, Montana, is to run into her mistakes. After a devastating crash during her recent military tour in Afghanistan, she is emotionally broken but ready to start putting her life back together. She just wants to reconnect with her teenage daughter and spend the summer working as the new lead pilot of PEAK Rescue in Glacier National Park.

But her mistakes aren't so easily forgotten. Because Ben King is also back in town.

Country music star Ben King abandoned his past when he moved to Nashville thirteen years ago to start his career. He hoped to heal his broken heart, caused by losing the woman he loved. But when his father is injured, Ben is called home to help manage PEAK Rescue during his recovery. He doesn't realize his father has ulterior motives until his old flame, Kacey, walks into his house and back into his heart.

Now, with Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben will have to work together to save lives. But when secrets are uncovered and old hurts rise to the surface, will they walk away again? Or can they find a different ending to their country love song?

Susan May Warren is known for her captivating characters and rich story lines and Wild Montana Skies is no exception. Also true to form is the compelling adventure that moves the story on like river rapids.

Kacey and Ben are two runners. They both fled their mistakes and ultimately each other years back after high school and now they are both home again. Although flash floods and a decimated town bring them home, it is the buried away love they once shared that keeps them here. The story line is as powerful as it intriguing.

The setting of the story, Glacier National Park and surrounding areas brings it own level of intensity and excitement to the plot. Warren writes it with crystal clear clarity. Old haunting grounds and similar circumstances reignite the past that Ben and Kacey shared.

There is a strong family element in this story, not uncommon for Warren. The friends and family that surround the main characters are riveting in their own way. There's an element of what our families would do for us to protect not knowing if it's the right choice in the end. And the power of forgiveness surrounding those choices.

Wild Montana Skies also touches on the topic of PTSD, as Kacey is a military helicopter pilot returning home after a tragic accident in Afghanistan. The problems she faces are real and the power with which they hold in her life can be devastating. However there is hope.

The faith element is evident in this story, both main characters are struggling with it but come from a solid base of Christian beliefs.

"Having faith is the bravest thing we can do. It's the unwavering confidence that God loves us. That although we can't see the road ahead, we can see God." page 271, Wild Montana Skies

I also love the contrast between the father's - one is a pastor and one is a judge. A perfect visual of the age-old battle within us of love versus the law.

Lastly, there is a subplot that takes the main stage many times throughout the book. It is the up and down relationship of Ian Shaw and Sierra Rose. Although this is a great story in its own right, I found it very distracting to the main plot. It was like reading two books at the same time. This is becoming more common in fiction these days and is not a first time for Warren either. My personal preference is to do one at a time.

However, Susan May Warren wrote a novella titled If Ever I Would Leave You. It is a free offering to her readers for signing up for her newsletter. It is my understanding that this story lays the foundation for the plot story of Ian and Sierra. I haven't read it, but looking at the synopsis I think it may have helped me not feel so yanked from the story. Check it out.

And of course ... book #2, Rescue Me is on its way for January 31, 2017.

What happens when the rescuer has to be rescued? When a van full of teenagers is lost in the rugged mountains of Montana, it's logical that PEAK Rescue would call out deputy Sam Brooks. Only problem is...he's lost with them. It'll take all the courage, skill and determination for Sam to rescue the wounded, scared teenagers. But when tragedy takes a dark turn, who will rescue Sam?

I definitely recommend Wild Montana Skies to readers who love adventure, romance and strong characters. Stories that grab your heart and take a long time to let go are your thing? This is a perfect match for you.

Susan May Warren is the ECPA and CBA bestselling author of over fifty novels, including Wild Montana Skies, with more than one million books sold. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She can be found online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook at SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren.